Twenty years and counting: Region taps public for options to extend life of landfill

There are many questions the Region of Waterloo will have to answer in the coming years as the population grows to 1 million.

For example: Where will all the garbage go?

The latest estimates show the Waterloo landfill on Erb St. has about twenty years of capacity left. The region thinks it will hit 1 million people by 2051. This highlights the urgency with which municipal government needs to treat the issue.

The region really has two options: Extend the life of the current landfill or find a location for a new one. There is a slight problem with that second option; the province hasn’t approved a new standalone landfill site in over a decade, granting only expansions.

With that in mind, the region is now considering options for lengthening the life of the Waterloo facility.

It’s been included in an online survey that has the public weighing in on the long-term waste management strategy.

Tracy Annett, senior engineer, waste management with the region and was a guest on The Mike Farwell Show. She discussed a few of the options they are looking at.

“Although we have one of the highest diversion rates in the province, we know from those waste audits that there is more we can and should be doing, through more education and perhaps the development of more diversion programs.”

Annett mentioned there might be things they can do by revisiting programs and services for places like multi-residential buildings. She also spoke about home renovation and construction waste, which is making up a large portion of the waste in landfills.

She suggested that more education about how those materials can be diverted might help.

Annett was asked about alternatives to landfills, specifically about incineration. Durham Region has an incineration plant that uses waste to create electricity.

“That technology has come a long way, and yes, that is something we would consider. Although, based on a 2016 study, we know that even with our population growth, we don’t have the tonnage to make it economically viable. So, we would have to partner with another municipality.”

Waterloo Region has been a leader in waste diversion since day one.

Kitchener ran the blue box pilot project in the 80s, which has now become standard practice in nearly all municipalities across the country. Annett believes in this community’s ability to meet challenges like this.

The online survey was set to expire on Oct. 6. Annett said that has now been extended through the end of the week.